The Perfect Play

by Louise Wener

Book Overview

Playing the cards she's been dealt has left Audrey Unger feeling out of control. Her professional poker-playing father walked out of her life when she was eleven. Now in her early thirties -- on the verge of her own midlife crisis -- she's prepared to risk everything to find him. In an attempt to discover what made him gamble and what drove him to give her up, Audrey must immerse herself in her father's world: a world of high-stakes gambling and ego-driven...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 006058548X
• ISBN13: 9780060585488
• Release Date: October 2005
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 4.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

The Perfect Way to Spend An Evening

I enjoyed this novel about poker and gambling quite a bit. It had some genuine laugh-out-loud moments, great characters and truly terrific writing. The whole book had a very cinematic quality to it. It was a lot of fun to read and I am definitely looking forward to reading her other books!

The best book of the year!

Wow, this is an excellent book, an absolute "can't put it down" page turner! The beginning is a little slow, but once the main character starts getting poker lessons, and is getting better and better I just couldn't wait to see what would happen next: Will she be a gambling addict, will she win or will she loose, is her poker playing affecting her relationship, this book has it all and more! The best book of the year, exciting until the last page!

hmmm....

don't get me wrong, i am a huge sleeper fan and will probably buy all of louise wener's books, but did anyone else notice she begins both "goodnight steve mcqueen" and "the perfect play" with "do you remember the _____?" huh.

Loved it!

THE PERFECT PLAY by Louise Wener August 20, 2005 Rating: 4/5 stars Louise Wener is on my list of favorite new authors. I read GOODNIGHT STEVE MCQUEEN earlier this year and LOVED it, and now having read THE PERFECT PLAY, I'm ready for another one of her books (will there be a third?). There are two main characters. Big Louie is a transplanted American living in England and not doing much of anything. He's agoraphobic, obsessive over germs so is constantly cleaning, and is addicted to gambling. Audrey Ungar grew up with a father who was a gambler, and she in turn seems to have caught the bug. Her father left her mother years ago, but Audrey still wants to know why he deserted them, and through Big Louie, she finds a way that may connect her with her father again. THE PERFECT PLAY is the story of an odd friendship, of two persons who are hopelessly addicted to gambling, and one woman's need to resolve the mystery of her missing father. Funny in parts, serious in others, and somewhat sentimental at times, THE PERFECT PLAY is a winner in my book. This book comes recommended.

Amazing!

Finished this an hour ago and had to come on here to write a review, what an excellent book. I laughed & had a few tears roll down my cheeks too. I am a Texas Hold'em player, although when I bought the book I actually didn't realize it was about poker as I didn't read the back cover. Her characters are superb, every one of them a "real" person. I really can't recommend this book highly enough, probably one of my favourites. Whether you play poker or not (for me it was just a huge bonus) this is a moving & funny book and very very well written.